1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to methods and devices used to detect and control bruxism.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
The habit of a person grinding his teeth is especially difficult to treat since the action occurs most often when the person is asleep and unaware of the occurrence. This habit may be so unconscious it can also occur during waking hours without the person being aware of it. If left untreated, the habit may lead to permanent deterioration of the teeth, displacement of internal temporomandibular structures, and pain during mastication.
A major cause of bruxing appears to be emotional or psychological stress which triggers an innate physiologic response of clenching or grinding the teeth. The nocturnal occurrence and unconsciousness of the response make the problem extremely difficult to treat. Awareness of each episode of bruxism can enable the person to gain control of the activity and thereby reduce or eliminate the symptoms.
The known prior art which appears to be most relevant to my invention includes devices involving electrical neuromuscular stimulators designed to physically open the jaw muscle during a bruxing episode. Other known past art inventions consist of intraoral ambient sensing devices which monitor a variety of functions such as chewing pressure, specific chemical analysis within the mouth and temperature variations. Still other known past art devices are oral splints designed to simply maintain separation between the teeth.
None of the known past art devices and methods appear to be as effective in sensing and treating bruxism as my invention. This is mainly due to the level of convenience to the patient of my invention over those of the past art. The known past art methods and devices operate in such a way that speech would be difficult or impossible while wearing the device, making the units inconvenient to wear during work. A bruxing sensor and treatment method truly functional for day time use must be capable of being worn on the body with the patient not significantly restricted in movement, speech, or other forms of normal daily activities.